26-Jul-17

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic

Chromosomes

Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes genome

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
Single cell Single or multi cell

No nucleus Nucleus

One piece of circular DNA Chromosomes

No mRNA post transcriptional Exons/Introns splicing

modification

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Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Chromosomal differences

Prokaryotes

 The genome of E.coli contains amount of

4X106 base pairs
 > 90% of DNA encode protein
 Lacks a membrane-bound nucleus.
 Circular DNA and supercoiled domain
 Histones not present

Continue…
o Prokaryotic genomes generally contain one
large circular piece of DNA referred to as a
"chromosome" (not a true chromosome in
the eukaryotic sense).
o Some bacteria have linear "chromosomes".
o Many bacteria have small circular DNA
structures called plasmids which can be
swapped between neighbors and across
bacterial species.

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Plasmid

o The term plasmid was first introduced by the

American molecular biologist Joshua
Lederberg in 1952.
o A plasmid is separate from, and can
replicate independently of, the chromosomal
DNA.
o Plasmid size varies from 1 to over 1,000
(kbp).

• Not only the genomes of eukaryotes are more

complex than prokaryotes, but the DNA of
eukaryotic cell is also organized differently
from that of prokaryotic cells.
• The genomes of prokaryotes are contained in
single chromosomes, which are usually
circular DNA molecules.
• In contrast, the genomes of eukaryotes are
composed of multiple chromosomes, each
containing a linear molecular of DNA.

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• Although the numbers and sizes of chromosomes vary

considerably between different species, their basic
structure is the same in all eukaryotes
Organism Genome Chromosome
Size (Mb)a numbera
Arabidopsis thaliana 70 5
Corn 5000 10
Onion 15,000 8
Lily 50,000 12
Fruit fly 165 4
Chicken 50,000 39
Mouse 1,200 20
Cow 3000 30
Human 3000 23
a – both genome size and chromosome numbers are for haploid
cells

• The DNA of eukaryotic cell is tightly bound to small

basic proteins (histones) that package the DNA in an
orderly way in the cell nucleus.
• This task is substantial (necessary), given the DNA
content of most eukaryotes
• For e.g., the total extended length of DNA in a
human cell is nearly 2 m, but this must be fit into a
nucleus with a diameter of only 5 to 10µm.

• Although DNA packaging is also a problem in

bacteria, the mechanism by which prokaryotic DNA
are packaged in the cell appears distinct from that
eukaryotes and is not well understood.

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Prokaryotic chromosome
• The prokaryotes usually have only
one chromosome, and it bears little
morphological resemblance to
eukaryotic chromosomes.
• Among prokaryotes there is
considerable variation in genome
length bearing genes.
• The genome length is smallest in
RNA viruses
• In this case, the organism is
provided with only a few genes in
its chromosome.
• The number of gene may be as high
as 150 in some larger bacteriophage
genome.

• In E.coli, about 3000 to 4000 genes are organized

into its one circular chromosome.
• The chromosome exists as a highly folded and
coiled structure dispersed throughout the cell.
• The folded nature of chromosome is due to the
incorporation of RNA with DNA.
• There are about 50 loops in the chromosome of
E.coli.
• These loops are highly twisted or supercoiled
structure with about four million nucleotide
pairs.
• Its molecular weight is about 2.8 X109
• During replication of DNA, the coiling must be
relaxed.
• DNA gyrase is necessary for the unwinding the
coils.

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Eukaryotic Chromosomes
• They are linear and organized
in pairs
• They are replicated at many
points along their length
simultaneously
• Their number varies greatly
from one organism to another,
but humans have 46
chromosomes; 22 pairs plus an
X and either a second X or a Y
• Before replication, they are
organized as chromatin

Chromatin
• DNA is wrapped around
collections of proteins called
histones
• Histones carry a positive
charge and DNA carries a
negative charge, so they are
held together by electrostatic
attraction
• 9 histones with DNA coiled
twice around the 8 histone
core is called a nucleosome

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Chromatid
• Once replication is
complete, the chromatin
coils and condenses into
the familiar chromosome
(2 chromatid) that begins
mitosis

Prokaryotic Replication – Binary

Fission
• They replicate in one,
continuous sweep of
polymerase enzymes
moving in opposite
directions
• The bacteria grows to
twice its normal size, the
DNA loops separate and
then the bacteria divides

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The E. coli Chromosome

Folded genome: is the functional state of a isolated bacterial chromosome

Mild conditions
(no ionic detergents)

1M salt
Polyamines(-)

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Model of E. coli Chromosome

folded=coiled

protein

Nicked=single strand
© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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• The DNA molecules in prokaryotic and viral

chromosomes are organized into negatively
supercoiled domains (loops).

• Bacterial chromosomes contain circular molecules

of DNA segregated into 50 to 100 domains.

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Bacterial Chromosome
• Single, circular DNA molecule located in the
nucleoid region of cell

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DNA Structure: Supercoils

Unique structure of a DNA molecule

Is produced after one or both strand

of DNA are cleaved

DNA will rotate or twist

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Supercoiling

Most common type

of supercoiling

Helix twists on
itself in the opposite
direction; twists to
the left

Mechanism of folding of a bacterial

chromosome

There are many supercoiled loops (~100 in E. coli) attached to a

central core. Each loop can be independently relaxed or condensed.

Topoisomerase enzyme – (Type I and II) that introduce or remove

supercoiling.

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